Tune in to Green – Exhibition Seven : Virtual Artists’ Chat
from upper right to left: Ebba Jahn (Berlin), Stephanie Reid (Austin, TX), Leslie Kell (Manchaca, TX), copywritten Tune in to Green logo, Daniel Lofgren (Hudson Valley, NY), and Caroline Walker (Austin, TX)
Some of the Tune in to Green – Exhibition Seven film makers virtually gathered to chat last weekend. Ebba Jahn, Leslie Kell, Daniel Lofgren, and myself (Stephanie Reid) were joined by guest artist, Caroline Walker. We discussed past and present art practices, the hope for future collaborations of immersive and augmented reality installations, the difficulties of monetizing art, and climate change news.
Watch the recording at https://vimeo.com/741672121 or read the synopsis below.
Ebba Jahn let us know that due to high temperatures and little rain, the Rhine River in Germany, where she lives, is so low that shipping boats are having to lighten their loads in order to be able to float. She also reported that melting glaciers are causing rocks that have been trapped inside of them to frequently fall from the mountains to the valleys below where people live. They are constantly having to look up to make sure they don’t get struck by one!
Stephanie Reid discussed the recent news about monarch butterflies being placed on the endangered list and the need for organic gardening and to support organic farmers, and to vote for politicians who will protect the environment. Reid, who worked as an organic gardening consultant at Garden.com, and as head (organic) gardener for a short-term rental property owner, gave a brief description of organic gardening. She also offered her services to anyone who need more info or assistance with this type of stewardship. Leslie Kell reminded us to plant lots of milkweek for the monarchs. Both noted that compared to recent years, not as many were seen this season.
Daniel Lofgren introduced us to the exceptionally cool art venue, Widow Jane Mine. The space is a labyrinth of caverns, which used to be a cement mine. A mushroom farm was also located there after the mining business closed there. Due to its exceptional acoustics, it makes a desirable location for performing artists of all kinds.
Tune in to Green – Exhibition Five closing February 28th
The micro-short videos (under 5-minutes) in the Tune in to Green series can be thought of as sketches. They are visual representations of ideas revolving around the anthropocene era, or plantationocene as some prefer to call it after Donna Haraway. One way or another the international artists in each exhibition express a question, mood, philosophy, and/or story about humanity’s need to evolve beyond its centuries-old battle with nature and instead find ways to integrate human society with it. Through video poems, experimental audiovisual pieces, expanded documentaries, and journalism, we are presented with new ways of looking at old problems or ways to appreciate the beauty around us with fresh eyes. Watch the trailer or rent the show at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/tuneintogreen or the Diorama Room home page. Exhibition Five ends on 2/28/2022.
